


love is in the air!

by jordankennedy



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: (jon’s only mentioned but it’s fine), Gift Giving, Multi, Pining, Season 1 Magnus Institute Archival Staff, Valentine's Day Fluff, cant focus on the end of the world if you write cute fluff, i am in denial about s5 so i wrote this instead
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-14
Updated: 2021-02-14
Packaged: 2021-03-15 16:55:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,757
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29439330
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jordankennedy/pseuds/jordankennedy
Summary: it’s valentine’s day at the institute, and martin’s gotten gifts for everyone. this goes as well as you’d might expect
Relationships: Jonathan Sims/Martin Blackwood, Sasha James/Tim Stoker
Comments: 3
Kudos: 52





	love is in the air!

**Author's Note:**

> this turned out to be a lot more timsasha centric than i planned <3 sorry not sorry, i miss them a lot

“Not even on the cheek? Come _on,_ Sasha!”

Tim had been trying to get a kiss from Sasha for the better part of five minutes. Nothing she was uncomfortable with, of course, he would’ve tried to do this even if it _wasn’t_ Valentine’s Day. Really, that just gave him more reason to be annoying about it. (He didn’t see how anyone could blame him, honestly. Kisses were such a _small_ thing, and they were quite nice!)

“I’m not giving you a kiss just because you got me these files,” Sasha laughed. “You wouldn’t ask Jon for one if he were in my position, would you?”

Tim smiled. “Well, I mean—”

“Scratch that, you definitely would.” She rolled her eyes. “Timothy Stoker, you are the _most_ bisexual man I know.”

He bowed exaggeratedly. “Thank you, thank you! It is such an honor to be awarded this title from Miss Sasha James herself.” He paused to look up at her. “What if I gave you a gift? Would I get my kiss then?”

“Oh, we’re resorting to bribes now?” she asked, raising an eyebrow. “And here I thought that the box of chocolates was bought out of the kindness of your heart.”

“Well it was! But— wait, you know about it?” Tim’s face felt uncharacteristically warm. Shit. He hoped it wasn’t too obvious.

“I saw you trying to hide it somewhere. I have to give you points for creativity, but you weren’t subtle at all. And—”

She stopped suddenly, something else catching her eye. Tim frowned. What could possibly be more interesting than what they were talking about? He turned to look at whatever she was staring at and— _ah._ Martin was talking to Jon. They were too far away to really _hear,_ but Tim could tell that poor Martin was more flustered than usual. What had Jon done now? Smile? Be less of a stuffy prick? Or maybe that was just Martin being Martin. Tim had his suspicions about how he really felt about their boss, but he didn’t pry too much.

The two of them talk for a little while, and then Martin hands Jon… an envelope? Oh, good christ, Martin’s about as red as a tomato by that point. Jon doesn’t stick around long after that, leaving Martin to deal with whatever he was dealing with by himself. Tim was about to ask Sasha if they should go check on him whenever Martin started to walk towards them.

“Heeeyyy Martin.” Tim gave him the largest smile he could manage. “Happy Valentine’s Day! Did you get anything for me?”

He batted his eyelashes, earning a groan from Martin. A resounding success if you ask Tim.

“H- Hi, Tim. Hey, Sasha. Yes- yes, I got you a present. I got _both_ of you presents— I got everyone something, actually. Didn’t want them to feel- to feel left out, y’know?”

“Everyone?” Sasha asked.

“Yeah? I- I mean, not _everyone._ God, it’d be really _weird_ if I got Elias something. Mainly just- just y’know, us and Rosie.”

Martin had pulled out two mugs out of the large bag he had slung around his shoulder. Both cat-shaped mugs filled to the brim with candy and tea— one was black, the other was white. Martin handed the white one to Tim, while Sasha got the black one.

“Aww, these are so cute!” Sasha said, setting her mug on her desk. “Thanks, Martin.”

“Soooo… did you get Jon a mug too?” Tim asked, knowing fully well that that did not happen.

“Um- well, actually, I- I… he- he’s got enough mugs, and I thought he’d like something different? Something more- more, uh… just- just something else! Yeah…”

Tim snorted. “Must’ve been something _really_ special then, huh?”

Martin fidgeted with one of the bracelets he was wearing. “It- it was, actually, yeah! It… it was one of my poems. And- and I included a recording of it too. One that I think he’d like!”

Tim gave Sasha a look. Sasha gave him the same exact look back. Something passed between them then. They both knew that Martin was into Jon. How could he _not_ be? A poem _and_ the recording of said poem? On _Valentine’s Day_? Sasha couldn’t make fun of him for being himself whenever Martin basically just fucking confessed to Jon. It was taking everything in Tim not to start laughing at the absurdity of the whole thing.

“You two have been looking at each other for a long time,” Martin said, his frown audible. “What are you planning?”

“Us?” Tim asked. “We’re not planning anything, honest!”

“You know- you know I’m not gonna believe you. You’ve got your scheming face on, and- and she does too!”

“We’re not scheming! Right, Sasha?”

Sasha nodded. “Oh yeah, definitely not. No scheming going on whatsoever! Can’t Tim and I just look at each other? He’s got very pretty eyes, easy to get lost in.”

Tim placed a hand over his heart. “You flatter me, Miss James. First you call me the most bisexual man you’ve ever met, and now this? It’s almost like you want t—”

For the second time that morning, Martin groaned in frustration. “Just spit it out already! I know you two have a question just- just quit stalling.”

“You have a crush on Jon,” Tim said almost as soon as Martin stopped. “Right?”

Tim had never seen someone blush so darkly before in his life. Martin stuttered for. “What- what kind of question is that? I- I just thought that he’d—”

“Martin, look me in the eye and tell me that giving our boss a poem on Valentine’s Day isn’t gay as hell.” Tim paused, waiting for Martin to come up with an excuse. Martin just stared at him, clearly _trying_ to come up with something. In the end, the poor man just covered his face with his hands.

“I told him that I wrote it _for_ him.”

“Jesus _christ_ , Martin,” Tim said.

“That’s rough,” Sasha added.

Martin despaired for a few more seconds before letting his hands fall back to his sides. “Y’know- y’know, the worst thing? I don’t think he even caught on. Like, y’know, I would’ve felt better if there was some sort of- some sort of _something,_ but he just- just kind of looked at the envelope and told me that he was surprised I wrote poetry?”

“Not that surprising,” Tim muttered, earning him a swat on the leg from Sasha.

Martin didn’t seem to hear him because he just kept talking. “And- and I told him I’d been doing it more lately and that if he wanted to read some more, then I’d _gladly_ let him have more. You know what he said after? He said he’d consider it! And then he _smiled_.”

Tim patted Martin’s arm in sympathy. “You’ve really got it bad, mate.”

“I _know._ Do you think he’ll- he’ll get it once he reads the poem? Or- or listens to it?”

“Hard to say.” Tim shrugged. “How romantic is it?”

“I didn’t wanna come on _too_ strong, so nothing too overt? But- but, y’know, I put my heart into that one and I want it to be appreciated…”

Tim sighed. He didn’t want Martin to get upset over this. He placed a hand on Martin’s shoulder, looking at him only _slightly_ more seriously. “Hey, Marto, listen to me. He’s gonna love it. Even if he’s fucking oblivious to what it means, he’s gonna love it. You know how I know that?”

Martin adjusted his glasses nervously. “How- how _do_ you know that?”

“Because you’re a damn good poet. And if he doesn’t like your poetry, well…” Tim squeezed Martin’s shoulder. “I’ll kick his ass.”

Martin huffed out a laugh. “You don’t have to do that. Honestly, I don’t think he’d stand much of a chance anyways.”

“Exactly! Now, I don’t wanna keep you any longer if you have more gifts to deliver, I can see more shit in that bag. Go on!”

“Alright, alright.” Martin smiled. “I’ll talk to you two later. And whatever you do, _don’t_ try to throw hints at Jon.”

With a wave, Martin set off to go wherever he needed to go. Tim promptly flopped down into the chair in front of his desk, spinning around idly.

“That was awfully nice of you,” Sasha said.

“I didn’t want him to beat himself up over that, y’know?” Tim cocked his head to one side as he inspected his new mug. “We both know he’s got a habit of doing that, _especially_ when it comes to things with Jon.”

“Yeah, true…” Sasha sighed. A pause. “By the way, are you ever going to give me that box of chocolates?”

Ah! Right, Tim had almost forgotten about that. He ducked down, rummaging around under his desk until he found the heart-shaped box. He held it up triumphantly. He made a bit of a show of handing it to her. “For you, Miss James, a box of the finest chocolates I could find under twenty quid. I know, I know, I’ve _truly_ outdone myself—”

He didn’t have time to finish his little spectacle. Sasha had cut him off by _kissing him on the lips_. It was brief, but he was still rendered speechless.

“I think that was a good enough gift in return. Besides, now you can stop bothering me for one all day.” Tim nodded dumbly. Sasha grinned as she opened up the box. “Though, Mister Stoker, I think I’d like to add in _one_ more thing.”

She popped a chocolate in her mouth. “During our break, I say we go out somewhere to eat.”

“Like a date?” Tim asked. He kicked himself mentally, what kind of stupid question was that?

“I wouldn’t have kissed you if I didn’t want a date.”

Tim’s heart fluttered. “That sounds good to me.”

Sasha beamed. “Good! Now, I actually have to do some work, so…”

She pecked his cheek lightly. “I’d appreciate some help if you’re not doing anything?”

Tim had no idea how he was supposed to focus on literally anything after this, but he’d definitely try. He nodded, attempting to play it cool. “Yeah! Yeah, I can help. Tooooootally…”

“You don’t sound too confident.”

“I am definitely confident!”

“ _Tiiiim_.”

“ _Saaaashaaa_.”

She handed Tim some of the files he had given her before. “Come on, I don’t want this taking all day. Reviewing these things should go by quicker with two of us working.”

Sasha had a point. Tim flicked open a file and set off to work. Lunch couldn’t come fast enough.

**Author's Note:**

> if you’re worried, jon DID enjoy the poem very much
> 
> find me on tumblr @mag128!
> 
> comments + kudos appreciated


End file.
